Table game of cricket.



, PATENTED FEB. 17, 1903. J 0. E. NICHOLAS. TABLE GAME OF CRICKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1902.

10 IODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRIL ERNEST NICHOLAS, OF LAUNOESTON, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA.

TABLE GAME OF CRICKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,072, dated February1'7, 1903.

I Application filed May 20,1902. Serial No. 108,232. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRIL ERNEST NICHO- LAS, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, residing at Invermay, corner of Queen andLandale streets, Launceston, in the county of Cornwall, State ofTasmania, Commonwealth of Australia, but temporarily residing at 91Edgevale road, Kew, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth aforesaid,

have invented a certain new and Improved Table Game of Cricket, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a household amusement in whichballs, a pitch cloth or board, a bat, wickets, a hurdle, a ball-pocket,ball-catchers, and sticks are used. These are so combined and arrangedthat a healthy and pleasant pastime is afforded to both young and old.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pitch cloth or board, the hurdle,the wickets, and the ballpocket. Fig. 2 represents, on an enlargedscale, a perspective view of a modification in which the hoop supportingthe ball-pocket is capable of being inclined. The net is unillustrated.Fig. 3 represents a plan of a portion of Fig. 2 on a larger scale. I

Similar letters of reference indicate similar or corresponding partswhere they occur in the several views.

On reference to the drawings it will be seen that A is a pitch cloth orboard. If it is made of cloth, the ends of the said cloth are closedover a strip of. metal B, (preferably lead.) The said metal is therebysecured to the said ends and retains them on the table. At the batsmensend of this cloth are situated the wickets. These consist of threewicket-sticks O, resting upon the grooves, in the tops of which is thebail D. This bail is preferably made of one piece of wood and isundivided in its middle. At their bottoms these sticks are secured to abase-plate E, the inside edge of which is chamfered, as at F, so thatshould the ball strike the base-plate it immediately rises and hits thewicket-sticks. Situated almost equidistant between the ends of thepitch-cloth are the hurdle-sticks G. The bottoms of these are secured inthe base-plate H, which base-plate, as also the base-plate beman is notout.

neath the wicket-sticks, rests upon the cloth.

Extending across and secured to the top of the hurdle-sticks is a wire,wood, or other cross-piece J.

At the bowlers end of the pitch-cloth is situated the ball-pocket. Thisconsists of a net K, suspended to a hoop L. This hoop L has at its topouter edge a bead. There are also arranged in a vertical plane aroundits circumference four sockets or tubes M. These are closed at theirtops and into them are entered the tops of the pillars N. These fitloosely in the sockets. At the bottom of each pillar is a base-plate N.

In Figs. 2 and 3 is seen a modification whereby the hoop L supportingthe net on the ballpocket can be inclined at any angle. The said hoop ispivoted on its two opposite sides to supports 0. These supports 0 havebeneath them the base-plates O, and at the top of the said supports is ahole. There is also through each side of the hoop a similar hole toregister with the holes at the top of the supports. Through each hole,from the inside, a bolt Z is placed, on the outside of which is a wingor finger nut P for locking the said hoop.

The game is played as follows: The pitch-, cloth is laid upon a table,and the bowler, standing in a line with and at the back of theball-pocket, with an under-arm ball throws a very light ball over theball-pocket and over the hurdle, so that it bounces just in front of thecrease. The batsman strikes it before it touches his sticks, and hisobject is to deflect it into the ball-pocket above the pitch-cloth. If,however, he fails to do this, the ball-catchers, which are not allowedto be operated over the pitch-cloth, catch the ball, and if caught thebatsman is ruled out. If the ball enters the ball-pocket above thepitch-cloth, a run is counted the batsman. The fielders, standing oneach side of the table, try to catch the ball in their catchers orfield-nets. The bowler must so deliver the ball that it bounces beforeit hits the wicket. If the ball, does not bounce before it strikes thewicket, the bats- The batsman must allow the ball to bounce before hehits it. ball from the bowler strike the hurdle, it is counted as noball. The wicket-keeper sits in a chair behind the wickets. There is nostumping in the game.-

Should the The umpire stands,

or sits right behind the wicket-keepers head,

- and in this position can see all the movements of the players. Anynumber of persons can play, from two upward. When there are only twoplaying, the batsman can only be put out by the bowler.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an improved table game of cricket, the combination with a suitablesupport, of a pivotally-mounted hoop, and means for locking said hoop, anet carried thereby in various positions, substantially as described.

2. In an improved table game of cricket, the combination with a suitablesupporting-surface, of a net supported above the same, a wicket spacedfrom said net, and a hurdle between said net and wicket, substantiallyas described.

3. In an improved table game of cricket, the

combination with a suitable supporting-surface, of a hoop spaced abovesaid surface, a not carried by said hoop, posts supporting said hoop,and means permitting adjustment of said hoop to various angles andretaining the same at such adjustments, substantially as described.

4. In a table game of cricket, the combination of a hoop, a net carriedby said hoop, a plurality of posts supporting said hoop, and a separatehorizontal base-plate for each of said posts for retaining the same in avertical position, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand to this specification inthe presence of two witnesses.

CYRIL ERNEST NICHOLAS.

Witnesses:

EDWIN PHILLIPS, CECIL M. PLASTRIER.

